High fuel prices are inspiring Americans to travel creatively. Some have decided to look back into the past in order to find ideas for the future. America first discovered mopeds and small engined bikes like the Solex 40 years ago. At that time France was a major supplier of this unique two-wheeled cross between a bicycle and a motorcycle.

 

Now that the cost of energy has become America's top- preoccupation, fuel-efficient vehicles are back in fashion. The old-school Solex powered bicycle is being resurrected. It is still manufactured in France but the “Velosolex” trademark is now American.

 

The current boom in car-sharing is another expression of American’s will to adapt to the energy crisis. In Washington DC, people wait to be picked up at designated parking lots. Cars with more than two passengers can then use what is known as “high occupancy vehicle lanes”, commuter express lanes. This leaves those who like cars with big engines with very little choice. Filling up the tank has become a financial nightmare. Most US commuters have no choice but to find more modest ways to travel.

 

About 200 Solex engined bikes are being sold every month in the US. This is a drop in the ocean, but it’s not bad for a company which relies only on the internet to promote itself. The Solex has a particular aura: a blend of retro-chic and an easy-going eco-friendly touch to it. The 60 year-old model has been revamped and adapted to American norms: with its catalytic converter, no more fumes, signalling a cheap way to get around town. The small, humble looking Solex was bound to disappear; production in France seemed doomed - yet ironically America - a country where everything that is bigger is thus better - has become its saviour.